Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-27

TRIES light as air are not only to the
jealous mind confirmation strong as
proofs Of Holy Writ. but % the house
keeper and ner family very often they
are also the source Of great discomfort
and the cause Of many domestic sins.
In the hurry Of dressing in the morn
ing, for instance. the piece OF ruehing
around the neck Of her dress gets
twisted, and she has no time 70 tx it,
for the biscuits must be baked, the
ehildren's lunches prepared IN the
early morning hours that slip away 80
quickly. Very soon the ruching be-
gins 70 feel uncomfortable; it scratches
her neck and irritates not only her
skin, but also her temper. Next the
pin gets looSened. and by that time
sur housekeeper is in such an unen-
viable frame OF mind that the moment
some one unwittingly drops an unpro-
pitious remark she Is instantly up in
arms. and feels q sort of " ghoulish
glee in making somebody else as I'M
comfortable as she is herself. By the
time O'Clock comes she is tired out,
her head aches, and she thinks life is
hardly worth living. Now, if she had
spent two or three minutes in arFang
ing her ruching so that it would be
comfortable, what a different spirit
would have presided over the breakfast
table, and how much more cheerfuLy
the bread-winners and the school chill
dren would have started to their daily
tasksf When q street dress has given
its full quota Of time TO the promenade,
and then done its duty as dress
up" for the afternoon, It ought not to
descend any further on the social lad
der. A great mistake is made in wear |
ing such dress around the kitchen,
especially for nervous, quick women.
A convenient door-handle always
catches the draperies, away they go,
and so does the peace Of the family. A
comfortable house dress that viii bid |
defiance 20 the door-knobs and other |
enemies that lie in wait for draperies,
is the proper thing 70 wear in the
kitchen. Have you ever noticed how |
much more smoothly everything went |
the morning you brushed and combed |
your hair and arranged it neatly2 If
you Just knot it back without comb |
ing It, and stick the hairpins in any
way, a constant sense Of personal dis |
comfort hovers around you. The hair |
pins keep falling out, and just when |
your hands are 50 engaged that hair |
dressing is q physical impossibility,
you feel your hair sliding down the
back of your neck, and the next min |
ute it is around your shoulders. II
you can still pursue the even tenor Of
your way, after that mishap, you are |
Fit for canonization. Unbuttoned boots |
and slippers that are broken at the |
heel. or are too large, often wreck the |
household happiness for that day. The |
awv.,,sr,er arDtruA the 4
kIes, the shoe is in constant danger of |
dropping of, and before she is aware |
Of il the wearer is cross and fretful at |
everyone except herself and the real |
culprits, the boots and her untidiness. |
A woman must feel that she is looking |
well before she can be goOd-tempered. |
" To be well dressed oft bespeaks the |
man" and certainly with smooth hair,
a comfortable dress, and a slipper or
shoe that is tidy around the ankle,
peaceful state in the feminine mind |
Is foregone conclusion. And if TO |
these we add tranquil, happy face,
no matter how moroSe and gloomy |
any other member OF the family may |
feel, a cheerful good morning Is |
sure 10 be returned, and very often the |
ill-humor vanishes like mists before |
the sun"
On reviewing the work Of the day we |
sometimes find several duties left I'M
done, although every minute was con
scientiously employed. A wave OF dis
enlargement sweeps over our soul and
there Is a longing for the time when we
can fold our hands and be al rest. Now /
this is very unhealthy and morbid /
frame of mind.
Labor with what zeal We may,
Something still remains undone,
Something uncompleted still
Waits the closing Of the day
In planning the work for the day we
forget that there are only some sixteen |
working hours at our disposal: and our |
plans cover sufficient labor for twice |
that time. Just do the essential things,
and then, If there are any Of the hours |
left. employ them in completing the |
unfinished work of yesterday. Do not
attempt too much. One thing done
thoroughly produces a greater feeling
Of content when
" Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning TO lower,
The campaign just fought comes up
for review. than would several duties
half completed. Just think of this
when YOU are marshaling your forces
early in the day. Neither is there any
cause 10 feel respondent; you have
done your very best, and what more
can any one dor Tomorrow there
may be fewer interruptions, and the
work may go along much more swiftly
and smoothly. What need, then, OF
wasting our energies worrying over
trifiesf The atmosphere of misery
some women can create around them
selves. Just because only one room,
instead Of two. has been swept and
garnished. Is almost phenomenal.
Hurry and worry, which usually go
together, ruin more lives and destroy
more happiness than any amount OF
regular. systematic labor. When we
have learned &c avoid wasting time on
the one hand and crowding 1t on the
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